After an error on her visa form puts her dream in danger, Velya has to come up with a plan to get out of trouble.
Arriving in the town of Crystal she finds herself distracted by the family the phone belongs to.
Sometimes I write about movies because I like them,
sometimes it is because I have a strong idea that I want to put out to the
world, and sometimes it is a way to bookmark a movie that I remember liking and
would like to write about more extensively once I can find a copy of it.
Crystal Swan is a Belarusian
film I saw at last year's film festival. I worte a bunch of notes on it, but
for whatever reason I forgot about it. Re-reading my notes, I remembered really
enjoying the film.
However, I am in need of a re-viewing before I
write anything more in-depth on it.
Consider this review a teaser for a longer piece
that will be released [at some point in the future].
An intriguing, personal depiction of life in the
former Soviet block and the effect of American popular culture, Crystal Swan was
a real surprise from 2019's festival.
The sense of chaos and hopelessness that the
characters feel is
In the lead role, Nasibullina is a magnetic presence. It is rare to
see a woman in a film where she both drives the action and is also focused
on her goal at the expense of other people. In the world of this film,
where one
character notes that the rules their world used to live by have died and been
replaced by nothing, Velya's self-sufficiency makes sense.
In thinking back to the movie, I wonder if Velya's opportunism and
obsession with America are intended as a dark commentary on American
individualism. I do not want to go off extrapolating without another viewing,
but that is one frame I would be keen to apply to it.
Part of the reason I decided to check this movie
out was the main character's obsession with American house music.
In the movie, it kind of recedes into the
background as the plot gets underway. For Velya it represents freedom from her
current situation. House music has a long history of representing community for
marginalized groups, so that could present another site to explore.
The key thing that I remember taking away from the
film was its incredibly dark sense of humor. Velya's plan carries a certain
comic tension as she becomes embroiled with the family, and her friend and
fellow DJ, Alik
is hilarious, constantly relating everything back to his obsession with his
'karma'.
Anyway, time to bring this ridiculous exercise in 'I vaguely
remember...' to a close. Crystal Swan was really good, and is not
currently available for streaming or disc (at least in my part of the world).
If you can, check it out. And my proper review. Whenever that
comes.
If you are new to this blog, I also co-host a podcast on the British girl group the Sugababes, cleverly entitled SugaBros.
You can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your
podcasts!
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